As far as I know, the link between stomach ulcers and the bacteria helicobacter pylori was known about many years before it became public. There are many rumours that drug companies paid huge sums to bury it so that they could continue to make vast profits from the antacids that sufferers had to take daily to mask the symptoms.it was not in their interest to let a few weeks on antibiotics cure the ulcers.

Am I alone in fearing that the all-powerful drug companies will exert such pressure on the providers of a cure for Parkinson's or treatment or any patent-free medication which proves helpful?

I have in mind the studies which show existing cheap drugs for diabetes and lead-lowering drugs which never seem to be pursued after initial good trial results.

I know I am a cynic but I have good reason to be after the response of GSK to the terrible damage their Requip did to thousands of patients.....refusal to compensate for the devastation despite £7.6 billion profit last year.

The fault lies not with big pharma which has to make substantial profits to exist and also only really back profitable winners. To smother good discoveries however is criminal and needs some sort of government involvement. The efforts re codex alimentaris seem to me also to be an attempt to smother complementary answers.

I think the very issue highlighted re requip is the reason big pharmas are reluctant to take on many options. A company has to assess the risk to making a profit v losing huge money. They are not in business to help us or lose money. It is the huge issue that an answer to our problem is to such a large extent dependent on the big pharmas who have no real interest in us as a class unless there is serious money to be made. Our answer must lie primarily with the little guys who are speculative innovators. This means that there is more risk that some things will not work or that they do have unwanted side effects but if we expect better answers we have to ourselves take some more of the risk. This is why I think the bronowski.org initiative needs to be supported as well as pdrecovery.org . They well may not work but it is our best chance of finding that elusive cure?

its interesting that the most recent stem cell activity is researchers and physicians directly funded by the (rich) patients. but imho, i dont think the 'cure' will be pharmacological - but based on one-off alterations of genes and/or introduction of stem cells or similar. so no big bucks from repeat prescriptions.